FS Calvin Pryor, Louisville: The Packers' safeties were awful against the run and pass a season ago. Pryor addresses an obvious need, while giving the Packers a presence in the middle of the field that's been missing since Nick Collins roamed between the hashes.

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ILB CJ Mosley, Alabama: If the board breaks this way, I think the Packers are looking at the defensive side of the ball. And while I know depth on the defensive line is a concern, Mosley is a great value at this point and is a player who can step in right away at inside linebacker and improve the unit. His ability in coverage from the linebacker position surpasses that of anybody in this draft, and if he can stay healthy he's going to be an impact player early on.

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NT Louis Nix, Notre Dame: Green Bay loses a lot of their beef up front on the defensive side of the ball to free agency this year, but Nix could give the Packers a replacement for BJ Raji if the nose tackle chooses big money over returning to Green Bay.

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TE Eric Ebron, North Carolina: With Jermichael Finley a free agent coming off injury, they have to get a threat in the middle of the field.Another one for Ebron: I don't know if Ebron will last this long, but if he does then the Packers should run their pick up to the podium. He'd be a steal here in terms of value, and tight end is one of their top needs. There are some good tight ends in this class, but Ebron is at a different level in terms of his athleticism and explosiveness -- both off the line and after the catch -- and big-play ability. Aaron Rodgers would love to have this guy on his team.

You know what, I saw a mock this week from someone national, that had ILB Chris Borland going #31 to Denver in the 1st round, so I am adding him as an option.
Despite the rankings, I would bet heavily that Borland has more of in immediate and long-term positive impact than Mosley.
With the choice of Borland, you might imagine a trade down about 7, 8, 9 spots to take him and gain an additional pick in about round 4 or 5.

(Of course) I like Borland but my excitement over him as a Packer fan stems from the potential value of picking him up in the second or third round. I hope teams discount him but if someone's going to use a first rounder on an ILB that is (1) undersized and (2) has a history of shoulder issues, it seems like they're reaching.

This is the same reason I was critical of the Tretter pick last year: IMO, he likely would've been there for us later. Using a first round pick on a player that will probably be available in the second round is probably value lost.

Just curious why some would prefer safety over ILB? Both are positions of weakness but it's been shown that this is a difficult defense for a safety to make an early impact (even Nick Collins took a couple years to prove himself). I'm all for drafting a safety, just not in the first. Either of the first round safeties is probably going to either sit his first year or give up a bunch of plays.

Just curious why some would prefer safety over ILB? Both are positions of weakness but it's been shown that this is a difficult defense for a safety to make an early impact (even Nick Collins took a couple years to prove himself). I'm all for drafting a safety, just not in the first. Either of the first round safeties is probably going to either sit his first year or give up a bunch of plays.

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I share your questions and remember Collins struggling as a rookie and 2nd year player.
But remember, he was from Bethune-Cookman. Have you ever seen Bethune-Cookman play? Do you know what state, city that school is in? Who is in their conference? From a small school like that, he was raw. But a special athlete.

Lately, you might notice safeties like Kenny Vacarro, Harrison Smith, Eric Reid all from bigger colleges (Texas, Notre Dame, LSU) who played legit teams, made immediate impacts and each made their defenses better right away, as rookies.

Harrison Smith could have been had by us if not for Datone Jones.

Smith was a major key to the Vikings improvement in the secondary, as his +10.4 coverage grade ranked sixth among all NFL safeties. He was our second runner-up for Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Just curious why some would prefer safety over ILB? Both are positions of weakness but it's been shown that this is a difficult defense for a safety to make an early impact (even Nick Collins took a couple years to prove himself). I'm all for drafting a safety, just not in the first. Either of the first round safeties is probably going to either sit his first year or give up a bunch of plays.

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There's absolutely no doubt the Packers need help at both positions. I don't buy into the thought that it's hard for a safety to make an early impact in Capers defense. Nick Collins was already in his fifth season and a stud safety when Capers took over in 2009. I really think Clinton-Dix is NFL ready and should be able to contribute immediately.

I share your questions and remember Collins struggling as a rookie and 2nd year player.
But remember, he was from Bethune-Cookman. Have you ever seen Bethune-Cookman play? Do you know what state, city that school is in? Who is in their conference? From a small school like that, he was raw. But a special athlete.

Lately, you might notice safeties like Kenny Vacarro, Harrison Smith, Eric Reid all from bigger colleges (Texas, Notre Dame, LSU) who played legit teams, made immediate impacts and each made their defenses better right away, as rookies.

NFL Network's Mike Mayock has projected Pryor as a top-15 pick, dubbing him a "bigger version of Bob Sanders." Annually in need of more defensive physicality, I think Green Bay would sprint to the podium for Pryor at 21. A clock-cleaning hitter with ample range, Pryor can play strong or free, and interchangeable is how coordinator Dom Capers fancies his safeties. Incumbent SS Morgan Burnett is coming off a miserable season.

HaHa or Calvin. Our ILB situation is not good, but not dire. Our safety situation is dire. I don't really care which of the two. I think HaHa is probably the more polished player at this point and I prefer his size and ball skills, but I think Pryor would be a ton of fun to watch and add a little "nasty" to the D as some like to put it. I waffle on these two, but today, I'll take Pryor.

My list of first round targets has dwindled from 8 or 9 guys to 1 or 2. I'm really trying to like Clinton-Dix, Mosely, Nix III, Shazier. Finding it very difficult. I'm back and forth on Shazier and Mosely and I keep thinking that they are not a massive improvement for us. I voted for Clinton-Dix in the poll. I'm starting to think I'll be happy if TT trades us out of the pick to get us an extra 2nd or 3rd round player. Especially if we end up with a 3rd round compensatory pick. Ted and his team of experts can go find us some talent outside the 1st round. Maybe some of these guys...

It would be Mosley for me. If not for injury concerns he would be going much higher. The guy has it all and plays with an attitude. Having someone this fast; effective; smart; and athletic will greatly increase what we can do on defense. He will be the biggest improvement to our defense - even though safety is a big need. Dix is a close second, he is a special player. Shazier is the same kind of player, just not quite as good in most areas. But he is more of an early 2nd rounder. If we miss Mosley in the first, I would be okay with Borland late in the 2nd, maybe later. There is a lot of talent in this draft. There will be some very good prospects at our 2nd round pick. Borland is just limited athletically, it will drop him further than his college production would suggest. His limited physical skills may make things difficult at the NFL level.

I'm always hesitant to draft ILB/MLBs that high in the draft. It seems to me that there are always talented guys available in between rounds 2-5.

Thing is the Packers might not have Safety as that high of a concern, perhaps they really like Hyde's potential at the S spot, where he does project well.

In terms of team needs do you trust the future of this defense to the mercurial Raji? We need a stud at NT to anchor our front 7 and I'm not sure if Raji has the guts to do it day in and day out. The way he flopped after Rodgers went out has spooked me on him as a player. We need ILB help but this has always struck me as a position that can be filled adequately in the middle rounds. We could also use safety depth but would one of the these first or second rounders actually be better than a second year Micah Hyde who flourished as a hybrid s/cb nickel back last season?

A big, physical, hammering run defender brings an enforcer mentality to the box and an intimidating, punishing presence to the back end. Is arguably the most violent hitter in this year's draft class and should make his presence felt readily in the pros.
-Nolan Nawrocki

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-This sounds very similar to Kenny Vacarro last year, and Harrison Smith the year before. If anyone watched those 2 guys, as rookies, they know we need that. And as ROOKIES, they can upgrade the defense.

It's hard to find a more complete safety in college football than Pryor. The Louisville standout punishes runners in the hole, while displaying outstanding range, ball skills and awareness in the deep middle.

Whether Calvin Pryor is the best safety in this year’s draft is up for debate. Whether he’s the biggest hitter is not.
.... even his competition to be the first safety drafted took notice.

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“C.P. is a great player,” Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix said Sunday at the NFL combine. “He plays fast, he’s always around the ball, he can hit. He’s a physical person. If I compare myself, I’ll just say I’m (just as) quick as him. I can’t say I can hit like him because he’s a big hitter. But he’s a great guy.”

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NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock said in a conference call last week both are worthy of a top-10 pick should the Lions decide to address their need at the position early in May’s draft.

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In three seasons at Louisville, Pryor forced nine fumbles, and former Cardinals defensive coordinator Vance Bedford told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that he knocked players out of three consecutive games last year.

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When was the last time you heard anyone like that in the Packers DBackfield? Chuch Cecil? This guy belongs on Seattle. If we can get him, we have to take him.

“It’s mainly mind-set,” Pryor said of his physical play. “It’s all about mind-set and how you’re going to attack the guy. You want to deliver the hit, you don’t want to take the hit.”

Nix I just don't think you invest a #1 pick on a position that is not asked to be a playmaker, instead "occupy blockers".

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Arrrrrgggg! Taking up blockers is the KEY to running our base defense. Silly ESPN buzzwords like "playmaker" are great for sportscenter where they don't know what's actually going on in the play, but what the coaches and fans care about is whether the defense succeeds in stopping the offense, not whether the key player "makes a play" that looks great and gets stats. We lost games last year because we couldn't stop the run in the base at the end of the game. If we can't fix that then we'll never get past the 9ers and will have trouble with any team that can force us out of nickel.

I would love to see Mosley or Ebron go here. I think both the safeties are going to be "impact" players but I am very much intrigued to see if they give Hyde a look at S. He seems to have a knack for the ball and proved last year that he is not afraid to mix it up at the LOS. The obvious choice IMO is defense but as the above article says if Ebron is there how do you not snag him? Kid is a crazy athlete and could really open up the middle of the field and make out PA game that much more lethal. Bottom line is I have full confidence in TT and his best player available approach. I know there have been a few "busts" in the first the last few years but there is pretty solid depth in RD1 this year and see us getting an instant contributor. As always though, TT does his best work in the middle rounds but if we could get a steal or a instant impact guy with #22 I will be jacked!

Side note, I am so glad I found this site. I am a looooong time Packer fan and it seems there are a bunch of knowledgeable fans here and I look forward to mixing it up a little and having a blast talking about THE only team that matters in the league. Go Pack Go!